


Stowaway

by NYWCgirl



Series: May whump 2020 [11]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Boats and Ships, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sickness, water whump 2020, ww-no.11
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:21:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24123532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: Jack is sure he has a stowaway on board, but he will have to find him first.
Series: May whump 2020 [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1727719
Comments: 12
Kudos: 25





	Stowaway

**Author's Note:**

> This ficlet is written for the eleventh day of May’s month of whump. The prompt was ‘Stowaway’.

Captain Jack Dalton knows something is wrong, there must be a stowaway on board. His galley crew told him they miss rations and there is more evidence to back up their stories. He has been looking for the man or woman, you can´t be sure these days. Jack knows he runs a tight ship, he trust his crew and he is convinced they trust him as well. And so when members of the kitchen report missing rations, he knows he has to find him, if only to avoid getting diseases on board.

He has been looking for weeks and hasn´t found anything, so he starts doubting himself. The crew didn´t inform him anymore of the missing rations, so maybe they just had a healthy eater on board. So he lets it go, he has other worries, an upcoming storm they have been trying to avoid, is building and needs his full attention. He wants to take one of his maps, when he finds it missing. He is sure he brought it with him, so that is strange. He check his cabin but it isn´t there.

He goes above deck and calls together the crew, telling them about his missing map. He promises that the one that took it has an hour to bring it back or will suffer the consequences. He doesn´t have to explain what that is. All members of the crew know that punishment for theft is running the gauntlet.

He returns back to his cabin for dinner with his officers. The food is brought in and the officers chit chat. Before he turns in for the night, Jack goes on deck to check out the sea. Everything is under control, so he wishes the watchmen goodnight and goes back. He lays in his bed and blows out the candle. But he doesn´t go to sleep. He waits.

And as expected, he doesn´t have to wait long before he hears something. It is subtle, but he is sure he heard it. He stays still, and his patience is rewarded. A sickly looking youth enters his cabin. He has the map under his arm. Jack waits until the boy is closer, before he jumps up and grabs the kid. He doesn´t put up much of a fight. It is clear he is sick and weakened. Jack sits him down on a chair before the kid keels over.

‘What are you doing on my ship?’

The kid stares at him with fear filled big eyes, but when Jack looks closer, he can see it is fear but fever burning in the kids eyes. He puts his hand on the boy’s forehead and can feel the fever raging, not good. He can’t afford sick people on board.

‘Are you sick?’

A small nod. At least the kid is being honest. The boy shivers and although he wants to be mad, the can´t, the kid looks pathetic. So he picks up one of the woolen blankets and wraps it around the shivering body. He can see that the kid is searching for a way out, but he can´t let him, if the crew finds him, he will need to be punished and he isn’t in any condition for a whipping. He takes a seat between the kid and the door and studies the boy. Red cones on his otherwise pale face, indicate a sure fever. Probably scurvy, since the boy looks starved, so he gets up so he shoves the plate with some salt crackers towards the kid.

‘Eat, you are starved.’

A trembling hand comes from underneath the blanket and takes a cracker. It is sort of inhaled, so Jack tells him to eat the others as well. He gets up and walks to his cabinet, taking a bottle of Gimlet and a glass and pouring some.

‘Drink it, it helps against the scurvy.’

‘How do you know what I have?’

‘Kid, you walk like an old man. You joints are stiff and painful. You’ve got scurvy, trust me. What’s your name?’

The boy studies him for a moment, ‘Angus Macgyver, sir.’

‘Well Angus, my name is Jack Dalton and I am the captain of this fine ship. You know you are a stowaway, right?’

Mac gives him a nod.

‘What are you running away from, kid?’

‘My mom is dead and my dad left, so there is nothing here to keep me, and I want to see the world, so…’

‘Why didn´t you muster as a cabin boy?’

‘What’s a cabin boy?’ Mac looks up confused, he clearly didn´t know that was an option.

‘Can you read?’

Mac nods.

‘Well, consider yourself my cabin boy, Angus.’

The kid is still shivering and looking ready to keel over.

‘But first, let’s get you healthy again.’

Jack gets up and clears some space. He leaves the cabin and comes back with an old mattress. He has clean bedding in his cabinet. He makes the bed, hands Mac a glass of rum and puts him to bed, it is clear the kid is grateful to lay down, because he is out almost immediately, probably the alcohol on an almost empty stomach. He will get the kid some real food tomorrow. Jack also takes his bed but can’t sleep. He will need to find a way to introduce the kid into the crew. Well, that is a problem for tomorrow. He will first need to make sure he can nurse the kid back to health.


End file.
